The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-18
INDIANA,S OLDEST NATIVE
How He Acquired an Education Under
Very Disc0uraging Disadvantages.
The Important Assistance That Mr.. Samuel
Morrison Furnished Generals Grant and
Butler During the Late War.


tent discussion, in the papers of the State, Of
he question, 'Who is the oldest natve-born
resident of IndianaP Claims have been made
Tor Uncle Isaac Wilson, of Shelby county. who
was born in 1907. and later for John F. Cotton,
of Switzerland, who first breathed in 1903 In
dianapolis. however. boasts older native than
either, and, 70 far IS has yet been ascertained,
the oldest living Hoosier. He is Samuel Morri-
son, of No. 131 Christian avenue. a well known
and highly respected citizen. He was born
March I. I79s and was the first white child born
in Dearborn county. Although in his ninetieth
year. his faculties are clear and strong, though
his hearing has become slightly impaired. He
Is chiefly occupied with reading and writing in
the field of local history. few days since
Journal reporter called on him and requested the
story of his life
''My parents" he said, ''were Pennsylvanians.
BY father was a soldier in the Revolution, and
was wounded at Brandywine. After the close
Of the war they moved to Kentucky, and in 1796,
on st. Valentines day, they settled at Peters
burg, Ind, then known as Tanners Station.
There was an old Indian hut there, without any
roof or floor, and my father had come over be-
fore aud fixed it up so that it could be inhabited
until he could get something better. My father
kept ferry there. 1t was just canoe in which
ne carried passengers; they made the horses
swim alongside Before 1898 my parents moved
10 the site Of Aurora, where was born. Both
my father and my mother died before / was
eight years old. While at Aurora my father
sisted Benjamin Chambers. He was a brother
in-law Of Israel Ludlow, and they two did the
first surveying in southeastern Indiana They
lived near Dayton, o., at the time. Chambers
afterwards came to Indiana and was ap-
pointed one of the judges of Dearborn county by
Governor Harrison"
where did you 60 after the death of your
parentsp
II went to Dayton, to live with my uncle,
Samuel Morrison, who was a wagon master in
the Revolutionary army. While here got my first
schooling, from Thomas Brown, Quaker. Be-
fore went to school, however. my uncle's Oldest
daughter, who had some education, used to give
out spelling to us younger children, and learned
to spell in words of FIVE syllabes before knew
q letter of the alphabet by sight. When went
10 school my cousin gave me a piece of old
Dillworths spelling book. 1t was the first half
When we got through it 1 used to borrow the
books Of the other children and copy out the les
sous for the next day. 1 copied 1t in print be-
cause 1 had not learned to write and SO by the
time through the book 1 could make
very good letters"
This skill in lettering is one which Mr.. Morri-
son has developed until he has been able to pro-
duce work scarcely distin guishabe from print
One of his most remarkable productions in this
line is a book of the songs which have been fav-
orites with him. He made it as music is COM
monty written. with one verse printed under
the slaves and the others placed below Every
part of it was done with per.
IsA g..
tinusd Mr. Morrison, 'I returned to Lawrence
burg and lived with Eli Girrard and Squire Fos-
ter, who had married half sisters of mine While
looking about for employment there met Cap
tain Crandall. old sea captain, who hired me
to do chores for him. He was the man who took
the first ship built at Marietta down the Ohio
and Mississippi rivers. When he came to Twelve
mile island. above Louisville, the
water had become low that
he had to anchor and wait until the
river raised. While he was there he met Betsy
Dorsey, a very pretty girl. who live in Clark
county, Indiana, and they married He
took her with him down the river, and after the
with 10 TO Russia and back again. They were
both very kind to me. The Captain had great
many books, aud was skilled in everything
lating to navigation. / asked him to loan me a
geography that he had think it was Morses
large geography. He did SO, and took it home
and copied all the maps that were In it. By that
Il a
fair drauehtswan. Captain Crandall also
taught me arithmetic as far the single rule
OF three. and something about astronomy He
used to take me out at night and point out the
consultations of the fixed stars and explain the
mo tons of the planets
did you go to school while at Lawrence
burel'
Very little. NV brothers-in-law were poor
and they did not appreciate the advantages of
education. They said l knew enough already;
that could read and write and cipher, besides
hntW oh In wrak Late ~wxA To-.
those days there were no free schools, and boy
could not go TO school unless some paid his
tuition or gave security for it, had one quar-
ter's schooling. though. My brother Ephraim
paid for it. The teacher was David F. Shook.
He could only cipher FAR the single rule Of
three, however, and SO only went over my old
work.
After a time my brother came up from Clark
county on VISIT and l went back with him.
He was poor, too. but old enough to do
manual labor. and support myself Iquarried
stone, ana chopped and scored timber. The
wages paid were twenty-five cents a day, and
board and washing cost dollar week. In
1920 opened a school at Utica, in Clark county.
The way school was started was this: The
teacher would take article or agreement
about the ueighborhood, and the people would
agree to send their children. and contribute to
pay the rent of the building and the cost of fuel
had Atty or sixty pupils in my frs school
1.-THE last schooling had was in 1921. had
saved up little money, and went over to Louis-
willie where Presbyterian preacher named Dow
was teaching. l agreed to take of the
building for my tuition, bat even then nay means
were so limited that had to use great economy
obtained permission OF Dow to stay in the
school room ct night. slept a bench with
my books for pillow. l used to buy bread and
sugar. which kept in nv desk. and for three
mon tbs i ate nothing but bread and drank sweet
ened water, except on a few occasions when / was
invited out TO meal felt no bad effects from
it, and my head was clear bell. After that
taught school for three years at Utica. and in
1924 went to Luxembourg. / taught school in
that vicinity until 1882 In vacation 1 used to
20 to Dayton and write in the clerks Office and
Dn the Supreme Court records.
In 1888, Micaiah i. Williams, Of Cincinnati,
Burvsyor-general of Ohio. Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. sent for me and
told me that he had place for me al $500 a
year. / was inst about closing a contract with
the clerk and auditor at Dayton, to work for
them at 5000 a year, but as Williams said ne
would increase my salary If / gave satisfaction,
went with him. He soon raised my salary to
1928. While here was elected trustee ard visi-
tor or the city schools / did not know L a
candidate until was elected. and first de-
lii